The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has ordered the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) against four construction firms following a vigilance investigation that uncovered alleged irregularities in drainage and stormwater projects worth crores. The civic body has also suspended the companies' participation in new tenders pending further inquiry.
Alleged Irregularities Surface in Stormwater and Drainage Projects
The probe, initiated by the AMC's vigilance department, revealed suspected tampering in measurement books, duplicate measurements, identical invoices, and significant discrepancies between documented work and on-site execution. These irregularities were primarily identified in projects involving new stormwater lines, drainage lines, and stormwater drainage networks in the eastern parts of Ahmedabad.
The four firms named in the investigation are Visat Construction, Meeral Infrastructure, Dhruvi Buildcon Pvt Ltd, and Bhagirath Construction. According to preliminary findings, these companies were simultaneously handling multiple AMC projects worth several crores across the city.
Project Values Under Scrutiny
Sources within the AMC revealed that Meeral Infrastructure and Dhruvi Buildcon Pvt Ltd alone were awarded projects exceeding Rs 50 crore over the past year, many of which are still under execution. The vigilance department will now closely monitor all ongoing works linked to these contractors to detect any further irregularities.
Among the major projects under scanner is a Rs 34.12 crore contract awarded to Meeral Infrastructure on March 5, 2025, for laying a drainage line network in a Town Planning (TP) scheme area of the North West Zone. The contract was awarded at 25% below the estimated cost. On the same day, the company also received another contract worth Rs 1.85 crore for constructing compound walls around plots in Naroda ward.
Dhruvi Buildcon Pvt Ltd, meanwhile, secured a series of AMC contracts over the past year. According to AMC sources, the company was awarded tenders for 12 different projects between May 2025 and March 2026. These include:
- A Rs 1.21 crore drainage line project in Chandkheda approved on March 5, 2025, at 19% below the estimated cost.
- A Rs 1.61 crore project for laying a new stormwater drainage line and building catch pits in the Chandkheda Housing Board colony, also approved on March 5.
- A Rs 44.72 lakh project for laying a stormwater network near Satyamev Hospital in Chandkheda, approved on January 1, 2025.
- A Rs 4.16 crore proposal for laying and shifting stormwater drain lines on newly built roads in the West Zone, approved on November 20, 2025.
- Projects worth Rs 1.31 crore and Rs 83.06 lakh for breakdown repair works in multiple city zones, approved on October 3, 2025.
- Rs 86.41 lakh for repair works in Ranip ward, approved on September 4, 2025.
- A Rs 3.94 crore stormwater network project in an East Zone TP scheme, approved on August 14, 2025.
- Rs 82 lakh for breakdown repairs in the North Zone, approved on July 3, 2025.
- Rs 2.51 crore for choking and breakdown repairs in the Ellisbridge, Naranpura, and Sabarmati areas under Package-2, approved on July 3, 2025.
- Rs 2.58 crore for laying a new drainage line in the East Zone, approved on June 5, 2025.
- Rs 2.50 crore for Package-3 repair works in the Ellisbridge, Naranpura, and Sabarmati areas, approved on May 15, 2025.
Single Tender Approvals Raise Questions
Further scrutiny revealed that Dhruvi Buildcon secured over Rs 11 crore worth of projects through five single-tender approvals between May 2025 and March 2026. This has raised eyebrows within civic circles, as single-tender processes are typically reserved for urgent or specialized work. The AMC has initiated the process to blacklist the company.
The investigation is still in its early stages, and officials are expected to conduct further scrutiny of records, bills, and site execution reports. The developments have triggered fresh questions about project monitoring within the civic body and have led to increased oversight of several ongoing projects across the city.
